1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to garments for delaying the onset of osteoarthritis and to provide relief for people having osteoarthritis by reducing the pain and swelling of the joints. This invention also relates to garments which can prevent or alleviate conditions caused by hypothermia of body parts.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Osteoarthritis is an inflammation of the joints due to infectious, metabolic, or constitutional causes which results in painful stiffness and swelling of the joints. Osteoarthritis is mainly a disease of xe2x80x9cwear and tearxe2x80x9d. It is for this reason that a xe2x80x9ccurexe2x80x9d is very difficult to achieve because of the constant injury, however slight, which exceeds the normal repair process.
Healthy cartilage, the slippery tissue that covers the ends of the bones of a joint, allows bones to glide over one another and absorb the shock of physical movements. Over time, the cartilage deteriorates, allowing the bones to rub together, which can cause pain, swelling and loss of motion. Osteoarthritis may become even more widespread as the growing popularity of certain sports and stress exercises take place.
Most articulations are simple in structure. They are composed of two or more opposing, cartilage-covered bone ends, joined by a flexible tube of dense connective tissue, the articular capsule. An intimal layer of varying microscopic structure lines the capsule. This is referred to as the synovia or synovial membrane. This membrane, which heals much faster than the articular cartilage, requires about 90-100 days to repair after an injury. The very slow repair rate is the main drawback, in achieving a xe2x80x9ccurexe2x80x9d for osteoarthritis. Within this enclosed cleft is a small quantity of clear, viscid synovial fluid. The temperature of this fluid and surrounding parts may fall as much as 3-4 degrees Fahrenheit below the normal body temperature, when exposed to cold, due to the poor blood supply.
Adjacent to the joints are similar tissue components such as facial layers, tendons, tendon sheaths, and bursae. Not only are these structures of great importance in the normal mechanical functions of the joint but also in the majority of articular diseases they are either primarily or secondarily affected.
The hyaline cartilage covering the bone ends at the articulations is an elastic, avascular, and cell-poor tissue. Its chief, if not sole, source of nourishment is the synovial fluid contained within the articular cavity. Compared with other connective tissue articular cartilage has relatively little capacity for regeneration and repair following injury. Since articular cartilage is the recipient of most of the mechanical shocks and stresses that are exerted upon the skeleton, it is apparent that the maintenance of an entirely smooth articular surface, so essential to normal function, is constantly endangered. It has been clearly shown that articular cartilage is readily damaged by a wide variety of toxic agents, by acute injuries, and also by minor and repeated traumas that are incident to everyday activities.
The joints are anatomically and functionally adapted to permit easy motion within a certain range. They are so contained that the cartilage surfaces and the synovial tissues are subjected to frequent injuries of mechanical, toxic, and metabolic nature. In the case of cartilage, such injuries are not well tolerated because of certain inherent biologic characteristics which limit its ability to regenerate. The articular surfaces are prone, therefore, to undergo important regressive changes solely from physiologic aging and the wear and tear of daily use. Such alternations may be greatly accelerated because of deleterious agents, single or repeated trauma, or as the result of deranged mechanics from faulty posture or disturbed locomotion.
Hypothermia results from lowered body temperature resulting from prolonged exposure to reduced temperature conditions. It is well known in the medical profession to apply heat to certain forms of arthritis, especially, osteoarthritis to ease the discomfort caused by osteoarthritis. Garments for keeping the entire body warm are also well known to prevent the onset of hypothermia.
Such garments are useful in their own particular applications, but none of them provide sufficient localized heat to the joints in order to prevent or to reduce the discomfort of osteoarthritis attacks. There is thus a need for a garment which can be worn to reduce the development of osteoarthritic discomfort by preventing the sudden cooling of the joints. There is a further need for a garment which can be worn by a person suffering from osteoarthritis or subjected to low temperature for a period of time that results in hypothermia to provide a retention of heat without adding to the person""s discomfort by, for example, overheating the body. The present invention is directed toward filling that need.
This invention is unique in that it consists of three layers of material which allows it to be used in all types of weather conditions. The three materials increases the temperature of the body parts covered by it well above that of the normal body temperature. Because of the unique construction, there is no xe2x80x9ctight-fittingxe2x80x9d application to any of the body parts covered by the garments, thereby eliminating the reduction of circulation, which in turn reduces the amount of heat generated by prior devices. The unique nature of the combined materials permits the garment to be made of ultra-light material, which provides medical benefits, physical fit and cosmetic appearance to the garment. The garment can be worn twenty-four hours daily, if necessary, without any adverse effects. The inner lining is made of soft, light material which does not cause any type of skin irritation. The middle layer is made of soft light material, which is specially designed to meet the requirements of the particular body parts. The outer layer is made of light synthetic material which allows the garment to withstand all types of weather conditions, including water immersion.
The garment can withstand all types of weather and the wearer does not lose the benefit of continuous heat generation. The garment meets federal regulation standards, which require that products sold to the public must be able to demonstrate that the products can perform the function as advertised. The garments have been tested on individuals suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, which is the most common and most difficult part of the body to treat for this particular disease, because of the strength of the knee when in motion. Putting tightly fitting elastic devices on the knee may lend support to ligaments, but it also reduces blood supply to the knee. In addition, there is the problem of xe2x80x9cslippagexe2x80x9d of other devices, which is also very unsatisfactory. Some manufactures of knee devices have tried to evade the problem by leaving a large opening in the area over the front of the knee (patella area). This also reduces any benefit that such devices render, due to the heat loss from the exposed area. This invention can be used as a complete garment in cold climate or air-conditioned environment for anti-hypothermia effect. The garment can also be used to cover a particular part(s) of the body to produce therapeutic effect (anti-arthritic and certain other joint and muscle ailments). No medications or chemicals are applied to the three layers of fabrics to enhance or modify their natural course of action. The garment can be worn as outer-wear and under-wear.
The garment of this invention is constructed of flexible insulating material adapted to fit around joints or the entire body in order to keep joints and the body warm by the retention of body heat. The garment can be constructed in various forms which will allow a person to select the particular coverage necessary to relieve that person""s osteoarthritis pain or hypothermia. Such a garment can be constructed in the form of a jacket, or shirt-type over or undergarment, which provides heat retention to the elbow, shoulder and wrist joints; in the form of trousers or pajama-type over or undergarment which provides heat retention to the hip areas, knees, and ankles; in the form of undergarments which provide heat retention either to the shoulders or the hips; or in the form of stockings which provide heat retention to the knees and/or ankles. The fingers, neck and spinal column also can be treated by the garment contemplated herein.
An object of the present invention is to provide a garment which keeps a person""s joints warm by the localized retention of body heat.
A further object of the invention is to provide a three layer garment which keeps the body joints warm, yet allows flexible movement of the joints.
Another object of the invention is to provide a heat retaining garment which can relieve osteoarthritis pain and swelling and can prevent or reduce hypothermia by retaining warmth in a person""s body, especially in the joints.
Yet another object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an anti-osteoarthritis and anti-hypothermia garment in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a garment that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.